I mean who cares, right? It’s just some colours and fonts, right?
Ohhh, there are reasons why brand consistency matters alright! However, the critical point to remember here is, that each reason directly effects and correlates to the client’s business and growth.
Consistent Message.
Beyond the logo. Beyond the slogan or brand position statement. Brand consistency encapsulates everything involved in corporate communications. Your images, your typography, your brand colour suite, your new visual language and layout. It’s all purpose-designed to connect with audiences and creates a sense of familiarity. Whether your new brand is stronger and more confident… or fashionably more upmarket… when a person recognises and likes your brand, they are far more likely to be at ease deciding to buy from you or explore you and create a relationship with your company.
Consistent Trust.
How do you feel when we mention two, well-known brands: Volvo and Apple. One is synonymous with safety which makes you feel assured and well… safe. The other embodies creative communication which instills a sense of confidence, aspiration and quality. Yes, they’re global brands, but the same rule applies to the smallest company. Once a consumer recognises and likes you, this forms trust. Trust is what generates interest in you which means leads and, hopefully, sales! That’s when trust becomes loyalty. And, there’s nothing more valuable for your business than brand-loyal, return customers.
Consistent perception.
There’s a clip online where a jobless, homeless guy is given a makeover. Shower, shave, haircut, new suit, leather shoes and… boom! Job interview. Well, Branding is a new suit for your business. And that ‘new suit’ can be designed to appeal to the audience your business needs to connect and engage with. Old school. Smart, casual. Executive. Black Tie.
Branding increases the visual value of a company. The better, smarter or cooler you look, the more value you are perceived to have. Yes, Branding is perception based, but don’t forget the valuable impact it also has on your company team’s perception.
Consistent recall.
This is good branding, hard at work, day after day. Customers have recently interacted with your brand in the past. It may have been in an ad, on a vehicle or a business card in a cafe … but there it was – your designed and targeted logo and brand colours. Then, a few days later, they need a similar service. Chances are, they’ll have your brand, front of mind. This… is great! Brand recall simplifies their decision-making, saves another online search, and you’re there… ready to sell.
Better still, consistently positive brand recall also works in the most powerful medium of all. Word of mouth. When these same customers are catching up with their friends and colleagues and are prompted to share about your brand’s appeal and their good experience… bingo! Brands help turn customers into advocates.
Consistent Design.
Branding consistency, particularly with a Brand Style Guide, is a massive help for Designers as well as the brand itself. From headline and body copy typography, to layout to colour palette to visual language to logo usage, across every application… the do’s and don’ts are crystal clear. This way, every new piece of communication has a preset design parameter to be followed, dramatically cutting time wasted on creating new looks whilst also maintaining what we’re all searching for; consistency.
Consistent Impression.
Brand consistency goes waaay beyond simply having the same look over everything communication piece you produce. Your brand’s consistency is alive and kicking across its personality, its intention, its promise and its voice. If you were a potential customer out there, ready to choose a service, you would want that service to be consistent and reliable. Not wishy washy and all over the place. Right? Your consistency give the impression – actually, a clear message. Your business has its sh*t together, and they will get a great experience and outcome.
Consistent Growth.
So, there you have it. A consistent brand can effectively grab, connects and engages on all sorts of levels, from the first ad they see, to their experience buying from you. Now, you can begin considering the value of all the points of contact with your brand. Hello, Brand equity. We’re talking building the value of your brand, from right across all your communications. Consistently designed, consistently presented, consistently building your brand and growing your business.